punkrockacademyfightsong made one of the best posts ever. my sentiments exactly. though i do eat dairy products and eggs but like i said from local farms and shit where i've personally gone to check things out. i just don't see a need to harm something if it is unnecessary for my survival. i am extremely healthy, happy, energetic, and get plenty (actually had a bit excess to overcompensation) of protein and all the stuff you get. so yes i'm a pescatarian as someone pointed out but essentially i have the "Mediterranean" diet. i cook a lot of the stuff i eat and when i'm out i eat as modest as possible instead of getting all this bullshit. i'm a firm believer that taste is relative to what you are used to. the same way i used to crave a bacon cheeseburger i crave a veggie burger with all types of good stuff on it. it's all the same shit, once my body adjusted it just craves what it's used to. it's all psychological.
i definitely can say it's hard sometimes in the presence of other people because so many people are totally ignorant to this way of thinking and some are just total dumbasses like the "well lettuce feel pain too" those people but for the most part i get by. i don't know too many other people who are veggies so when i do go out i'm usually surrounded by meat but i hold my own and i never get into any conflicts. most of my friends tell me they would love not to eat meat but they can't control the craving. which is why i think deep down most intelligent people will attest that it is unnecessary but because a) they have the ability to and b) they love it so much they cannot give up meat.
believe it or not the only time i ever get into arguments with people is either a) when they attack me or b) when they complain about people eating cats and dogs in like china or whatever. i was at a dinner with a bunch of people and some guy was like did you see that story about how they eat dogs in korea how terrible is that. and i was like, well what about that chicken you are eating. does your dog have more humane rights than a chicken. if you had a chicken as a pet and grew attached to it you would be saying the same thing about 99% of the world that eats chickens. i am a huge cat lover and like my cat almost as much as i like most members of my family but to me i can't be prejudiced. and the same way people were prejudiced against blacks or jews or whatever, is the same way i feel about cats and cows. i think if people weren't so far removed from their food sources they would have second thoughts about eating meat. if they lived at a slaughterhouse and had to see what goes on in front of them most people would be grossed out. there are plenty of people who wouldn't be and there are plenty of framers who raise their own chickens and cows to kill them but i mean whatever. most of the general public has a "see no evil hear no evil" policy towards it. and what pisses me off the most is when i tell people i don't feel i should kill something if it is no absolutely necessary they tell me "oh well you don't think a tomato hurts when you pull it off the vine???" and once again, i don't really care about what other people do, i never start arguments with people. i keep a pretty low profile about not eating meat, i don't announce it at dinners, i just quietly order something without meat or not made with animal stock or whatever and just go about my business and save the good meal when i get to make it on my own. also i guess i am lucky i live in a city that has SOOOOOO many fucking delicious veg restaurants. i don't know how some of you do it in other parts of the world, it must be very very difficult, i commend you.
VegDonalds?
